Author's Note: I would like to thank all of my reviewers for their comments!

WitchofNZ: Don't worry this murder is about to go into full swing! Be patient because the set up is really what makes it fun!

HPROXMYSOX: Thanks for both of your reviews! I'm glad you liked the innuendo, I am trying to put in as much as I can. Please continue reviewing to let me know what you think!

ScarlettAngel: Its hard for me to write such a depressed Ron, but sometimes life isn't always what we bargain for!

valentines-hater: It may be cute now, but it won't be for long...

AmyChris: Thanks for commenting on what rating I should have...I will probably stick to PG-13 just cause of all the innuendo, if I suddenly make some full blown sex scene, it would ruin the anticpation that goes along with the innuendo (sorry HPROXMYSOX) there will be some good clean violence though =)

And for those of you who read but don't review: Shame on you!!

Chapter 5: The Unexpected Visit

The next couple of days Ron tried to push thoughts about Hermione out of his head. What was wrong with her? Obviously Malfoy's own rude behavior had brushed off onto her. He couldn't understand it—Hermione had always been so smart, but then again he also remembered that she sometimes lost her mind a bit when faced with difficult situations. Like in their first year at Hogwarts when he and Harry had been trapped by devil's snare and they needed a fire and she had asked for wood to start the fire and Ron had to remind her that she was a witch and didn't need wood. There was also the time during their third year when she took on extra subjects and went totally mental for being so burnt out using the time turner. He had to admit Hermione had a very nutty side to her, but even still, Ron could never believe she was capable of contemplating murder.

It was late Wednesday evening and Ron had just stepped in from a night out with Parvati, Neville and a few others from the insurance office. They usually went down to the Leaky Cauldron, an old wizard's pub, to get drinks every once in a while after work. Tired, and slightly buzzed, Ron shook off his wizard robe, kicked off his shoes and loosened his tie. He scratched his head lazily and his bright red hair ruffled up. Just as Ron was about to crash on the sofa in his front room, he heard a knock at the door. He looked at the clock—nearly eleven—who could possibly be bothering him now, he thought.

Ron opened the door to see Hermione standing there wearing a khaki overcoat looking as if her hair had been very windblown. He stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Hi Ron," she said reluctantly, "Erm...you forgot your hat the other night so I thought I'd return it to you—"

"—How did you—"Ron stuttered.

"—know where you live? That's easy Ronald—I still get owls from Harry every so often. He keeps me informed," she was now letting herself into the apartment, but she didn't have a hat to return to him. In fact, Ron's hat was already hanging on a stand near the door, but he didn't notice.

Ron finally found some words and said, "Hermione, I'm not sure it's a good time for you to be hanging around my apartment. Besides I already told you that I wouldn't be coming around to see you anymore."

Hermione, who had been unbuttoning her jacket stopped and looked down at the ground, "Oh, you're still upset about the other night," she looked back up at him, "I do apologize for my behavior. I shouldn't be doing anything to jeopardize your job. I really didn't mean all those things I said about wanting an accident policy on Draco..."

"It's all right, let's just not talk about it again," Ron was still hesitant to accept her apologies, "Listen, it's kind of late, maybe you should come back another time—"

"—Don't be ridiculous!" she interrupted him and went ahead and took off her coat and pressed it into his arms, "I'm already here, aren't I? I'll put on some water on for tea!"

He couldn't believe the scene in front of him. All these years he pined for Hermione, but now that she was standing in his living room looking very eager to see him, he thought she was too mental to be around him anymore anyway. But then again, Ron realized how beautiful she looked wearing her black muggle trousers and a pale pink button up blouse. Her hair looked tussled as though she had been out in the wind that evening, but she still had that certain charm that Ron couldn't resist.

"I suppose you could stay for a little while," he said as he absentmindedly hung her jacket on his coat rack, "but don't worry about the tea, I'm not thirsty."

Hermione beamed, "This is a nice place you have here—very cozy!"

"You mean small," he wasn't particularly proud of his small one bedroom flat filled only with the bare minimum in furniture and decorated with a few family photos waving on the wall and a tattered old Chudley Cannons Quidditch team poster.

"Rubbish Ronald! It's not small—it's the perfect fit!"

Ron glared at Hermione for a moment before changing the subject, "So, do you miss teaching at Hogwarts?"

"No of course not!" Hermione snapped at him, "Would you want to be surrounded by a bunch of know-it-all teenagers who were always getting themselves into trouble? I had to hand out detentions left and right! I couldn't stand any of them!"

"Yes of course, I remember how you tried not to do any of those things when we were at Hogwarts," Ron was sarcastically commenting on how Hermione did exactly the things she had just complained about during their days at Hogwarts.

"It was different for us though," Hermione realized what she was saying, "Besides, I needed to leave the castle for a change of scenery."

"I bet there were a lot of heartbroken students when you left."

"Don't be silly Ron, I was a very strict teacher. They wouldn't have missed that!"

"Well I would have been upset. I mean a beautiful teacher like you—always telling me I'm being a bad little wizard..." Ron never had a teacher like Hermione, but he suspected he would always have tried to get detention with her.

She blushed slightly and then smiled at Ron, "Did you do that homework I assigned for you Ronald?"

"I'm sorry—what?" he thought his joke about wanting Hermione to be his teacher was over, but she was obviously playing along.

"Don't you remember, I wanted a rather sizeable scroll handed into me as soon as you had it ready..." she gave him a curious look.

Ron suddenly felt his neck getting hot under his collar, so he loosened up his tie a bit more, "I don't have it ready for you yet...Professor Granger." He decided to play along and also call her by the name he always remembered her by.

Hermione was now walking round Ron who was standing in the middle of the room with his hands in his pockets. She was looking him up and down and brushing her hands against his shoulders. "You'll have to serve detention with me you know," she raised her eyebrows, "I'll help you get that scroll ready to turn in."

"Am I in a lot of trouble, Professor?"

"Definitely. In fact, your detention won't be over until I am completely satisfied with the outcome of your scroll." Hermione was now moving in closer to Ron.

Ron gulped, "I, er, will give you my very best work. You won't be disappointed."

Hermione now stood so close to him that he could feel her breath on his lips. Before he could think of what to do next, Hermione pressed her lips against his and they were now kissing passionately in Ron's living room. He felt intoxicated with warmth and comfort as he ran his fingers through Hermione's long brown hair. She kissed him harder and pulled her body closer to his. Ron ran his hands down to her shoulders and ended at her hips. He then led her to the sofa where he gently sat her down and joined her. With a flick of his wand, he dimmed the lights in the apartment. He then made love to Hermione for the first time since they split at the end of their seventh year at Hogwarts.

An hour later they were fully dressed once again and snuggled up together on the couch. Ron was running his fingertips along Hermione's bare arm and staring up at the ceiling reveling in the moment. Never did he imagine that she would care about him again—a washed up wizard selling insurance. He never thought he'd have another chance. More than anything he wanted this moment with Hermione to last forever, but it was cut short when he heard her start crying.

"What is it 'Mione?" he asked sincerely as her cries turned to sobs, "Are you worried about Malfoy finding out? Because I won't tell anyone about this! I swear it!"

"I...don't...care...what...Malfoy...knows! I...can't...stand...him!" she was sobbing heavily in Ron's arms and he hadn't taken notice that she didn't call her husband Draco. "I want to be with you Ronald, I know now that we could be happy!"

"My wish is the same 'Mione," he was brushing the tears off her face, "I've always wanted to be with you—even after all these years."

Hermione looked at him with astonishment. Her tears were now calming down a bit, "What ever will we do so we can be together?"

Ron stood up and exclaimed, "I'll tell you what we're gonna do! We need to get rid of Malfoy right?" Hermione nodded her head, and Ron continued, "And we're gonna need a load of Galleons to start a new life together, right? You'll need a proper home to live in since this one just won't do the job!"

"What are you getting at Ron?"

"Hermione—I am going to get that accident insurance policy on Malfoy for you. And then—we're going to off him so you can collect. We can be together, and we'll have a load of gold as an added bonus!"

"I thought you said Parvati would figure it out—"

"No, there are other ways of getting rid of Malfoy that Parvati won't be able to track. Now listen to me very carefully," Ron sat down next to Hermione again, "Anything that we do in connection with offing Malfoy must be done without using our wands! It's too easy to track using the spell reversal charm. And don't apparate to come and see me. They can look up those kinds of records too."

"You mean we need to do this like Muggles?" she understood exactly where Ron was going with all this.

"Precisely. Now it won't hurt if we use some potions so long as we don't leave any evidence of them behind. Other than that, if you need to reach me, my dad insists that I have a Muggle cellofone, so you can reach me on that...but only in dire emergencies are you to use it. Don't call from the fellytone at the estate (I know you have one to reach your parents), instead use the public one down at Thomas' Market—you know where that is?"

"Yes, it's a Muggle Market in London—just down the street from the estate. I could walk there every morning at eleven. You could meet me there in person so we can talk about the plan."

"You're brilliant Hermione!" Ron was wringing his hands together with excitement.

"What is the first step, then?" Hermione's tears were completely gone now, and she seemed more than willing to carry out Ron's plan.

"When Malfoy returns—"

"Tomorrow—"

"Yes, good. I'll come by again to renew his broomstick insurance. Now this is important—we need a witness there to see that I at least gave him the pitch about accident insurance, even if he decides not to sign for it. You follow me so far?"

"Yes, I can do that."

"Now remember, we are doing this like muggles so we must be extra careful with this plan. We must stick together through this no matter what! We are riding this train to the end...straight down the line, got it?"

"Yes, of course," she was now picking up her coat and putting it on, "Come by around seven tomorrow evening—yes he will be there this time—and we can start everything then."

Ron walked her to the door to let her out, "I've missed you Hermione," he said as he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

She smiled at him and replied, "You did wonderful in detention tonight Ronald, I think I'll have to give you an Outstanding mark on your grade report..."

Ron turned red in the face and grinned at Hermione as she left the apartment and hurried onto the lift across the hall where he watched the doors close in front of her glowing face.